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As someone who dreams of being a Hollywood screenwriter, Benjamin Cole Hauptfuhrer ’07 (Bronxville, N.Y.) knows he’ll need as much experience as possible to get his start.
A double major in English and philosophy, Hauptfuhrer is gaining essential skills by writing a feature-length screenplay called Displacement under the guidance of Alix Ohlin, assistant professor of English.
“Professor Ohlin gives me good opinions; she gets me out of jams and keeps me going,” he says. “How often do you get the chance to have a critically acclaimed and published author work one-on-one with you on your terms for an entire semester? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Hauptfuhrer describes the plot as an embellished autobiography, adding that the event that sets the screenplay’s tone, while not his own experience, will resonate with teenagers.
“The inciting incident is true to form for a ‘coming-of-age’ [piece]: an unorthodox and highly ridiculous drinking game ends in a car crash, and gets the protagonist sent from his mother to his father, with whom he has a rocky and unresolved history,” he explains. “While some of the story hinges on teenage dilemmas that could be considered clichés, such as problems brought about by excessive partying, I try to balance it out by exploring other issues, such as the various motives for teenage alcoholism, the effects of getting in too deep in a high school relationship, and the [complications] of moving somewhere new.”
He has found it challenging to balance his tendency for humorous writing with spotlighting the dramatic elements.
“I’m trying to include a lot of substance, where the comedy doesn’t undermine the dramatic effect,” Hauptfuhrer says. “Unfortunately, humor comes more easily to me when I free write, so I may be trying to conjure up maturity that a sheltered 21-year-old ‘frat boy’ just doesn’t have, but I’m optimistic.”
Ohlin does not doubt that he will complete a solid screenplay.
“I first met Cole in my screenwriting course, offered for the first time at Lafayette last spring,” she recalls. “In that course, I tried to introduce students to the basic elements of the screenwriter’s craft, which many of them were coming to for the first time. It was immediately noticeable to me that Cole had an exceptional command of the form. He had clearly been pursuing it on his own and had a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for it.
“So when he came to me with this opportunity, I was pleased to work with him,” she continues. “Over the course of one semester, most students don’t have the time to write a feature-length film. In fact, many graduate students fail to produce a full draft. But I am not at all concerned he’s not going to be able to finish, which is really a testament to him.”
While Hauptfuhrer works primarily on his own, Ohlin helps with the fundamentals of screenwriting, such as story structure and maintaining a steady pace.
Ohlin’s debut novel, The Missing Person, received favorable reviews this year in the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Montreal Gazette, and Buffalo News. Her next book, Babylon and Other Stories, is scheduled for publication in August 2006. She also is the author of numerous stories, articles, and reviews. She joined the Lafayette faculty last year and teaches courses in creative writing, college writing, and literature and film.
“I would call it the most fun, but stressful, marathon I could have ever engaged in,” Hauptfuhrer says. “It’s pushing my limits and helping me develop a mature mentality. This is the most difficult and time-consuming academic endeavor I have ever been involved with, so it’s teaching me how to handle time management and, to an extent, how to deal with the intimidation factor of attempting to tackle a 120-plus page paper.”
The project also is preparing him for senior honors thesis research and life after graduation.
“It’s so much work that everything I do has to serve a purpose, and I feel like I am evolving into someone who could thrive in the workforce,” he says.
Ohlin notes that those skills will serve him in any career.
“I think this will give him a lot of practical experience in writing, which is translatable to a number of things,” she says. “Just because he is writing a screenplay doesn’t mean he will only be a better screenwriter; he’ll be a better writer in a number of ways. I asked him to put together a syllabus, which is a way for him to take ownership of his own learning experience. In some ways, [that is] what college is all about.”
Hauptfuhrer agrees.
“This independent study is a microcosm of the college experience: I have the freedom to do what I want with it, I’m having fun doing it, and I don’t have to meet for class,” he says. “But it’s a ton of work and very stressful. Without a doubt, it’s worth it.”
Hauptfuhrer is the recording secretary for Zeta Psi fraternity. He is a certified SAT tutor for Princeton Review and is earning his certification as an LSAT tutor for Kaplan Test Prep. He is a graduate of The Hill School.
As a national leader in undergraduate research, Lafayette sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year. Thirty-nine students were accepted to present their research at this year’s conference.